In 2011, Maine Coast RS-11 #367 (former N&W) was for sale with the words, "it is time to sell it or scrap it."

The locomotive was then purchased by the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. Judging from photos over the last 6 years, a lot of work was done to it.

Well they finally finished! So a rare RS-11 has been brought back from the brink.

Has anyone witnessed it running yet?

Photo from July, 2017:

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/624197/

Why yes, Yes I have. Both from inside the cab and out side of the cab.

It's been on the property since late spring 2012 and we finally have it out. But like any 50 +year old locomotive it's still a work in progress.

I dislike the fact that it took us over 5 years to get 367 to the point where she can pull her own weight, but somewhere in there I got involved in rescuing 5 other locomotives just ahead of the scrapper. Only one of those beat 367 out of the gate. I hope to see another one of those 5 running early next year on the WVC side.

Besides the 2 other regular employees there have been 2 regular volunteers and 3-4 part time guys that have helped along the way.

I also have to thank the last 3 former owners for service after the sale. We wouldn't have made it with out them!

Bent True

DGVR

Does the locomotive have a home on which to run, or is it still for sale?

Durbin and Greenbriar does have freight and tourist operations on the lines they operate... I'd say its safe to say it found a good home down there.

A question from the back of the classroom in Historic Diesels 101: what makes an RS-11 rare or significant?

Wesley

Well it had more horsepower, more tractive effort and was slightly more fuel efficient than it's EMD contemporary, and it was among the first ALCo products to have the 251 in the long hood. However it wasn't as massive as a sales success as the Geep, and while they worked well the 400 or so number that were built by ALCo didn't survive attrition at the scrap yard very well. Other than the one in Virginia and the ex-NH example at Danbury (which is thoroughly worn out) I can't think of any others. Yes I know that there's more than two RS11s floating around, but I just don't know where they're hiding at the moment.

There's a list of surviving RS-11s here:

https://www.thedieselshop.us/AlcoSurv-RS-4.HTML

We've got quite a few on GVT, from far flung roads like the NKP, DW&P and SP.

On any given day we have at least four running with an equal number for parts and/or "awaiting their turn".

The RS-11 was Alco's best selling unit in the US with the Alco 251 engine.

Of the well over 400 built, the list is only around 25 survivors and several of those are derelict, possibly now scrapped (Like others, I just have The Diesel Shop to go by and it's not a source known for reliability), or owned by entities that aren't holding on to it for the sake of preservation.

I believe there are only three truly preserved Alco RS-11's in this country, although several others have good homes as working units. It's in essence the last locomotive model introduced by Alco that was commercially successful in the United States. Sales from here on out were usually sold in the dozens, with I believe only two Century offerings even managing to break the 100 units sold mark to US customers.

I'd argue their relative rarity today isn't what makes one special. What makes a survivor special today is that it's one of the few survivors from what once was the best selling 2nd generation product from one of America's most historic locomotive builders (A builder that soon afterwards faded away from the scene).

People worry too much about the saving the unique offerings. RS-11 survivors today are special because they represent the last of their kind from a once common class of locomotive.

Sorry Richard, It's got a train to pull on Monday (and the day after that).....
I hope we get to field three locomotives for harvest this season, we'll see if that happens.

To be honest, we didn't pick the RS-11 because it was rare. We picked mostly because of alignment control couplers, 26 air and to try out the ALCO world. It helps that it has heritage as a WV coal hauler.

If you're a N&W fan you will reckoning the script. More fun stuff is coming, but the customer wants their logo on the side first.

So far it seems to. Play relatively well with the GP's but it does seem to lag behind a little in the 12-17 mph range. When it makes transition it try's to pull the whole train again.

As far as I know the only surviving N&W RS-11's are
351 GVT dead line in Scraton
361 on the New York based Ontario Midland (in service as far as I know)
367 (just discussed that one)

Ontario Midland also has RS-36 N&W 408

Any more surviving N&W ALCO's out there?

There's the C-630 high nose in Roanoke, Roanoke Chapter has a T6, high nose C-425(?) on the New York & Lake Erie.

I'm sure there's more, some experts will surely chime in.

The problem, relatively speaking, with the RS11 is that it was a 251-powered road switcher in a land full of GP9s. The folks who were willing to keep Alcos running kept them and in some cases are even still using them, while the folks who were trying to preserve things went after other targets.

The last "major" RR in the US to run RS11's was likely the Central Vermont in the 1980s, holding on to a dozen or so ex-DW&P examples. Several of those wandered on to other projects like the Lamoille Valley (which cleverly just painted part of the "CV" logo into "LV"), Genesee Valley/D-L, Winchester & Western, and the York-Durham excursion line in Ontario.

If age and the SD70ACe's haven't put them out of work as C420's were cascaded down from road service, I believe the Arkansas & Missouri rostered three N&W T-6's. And in addition to the Roanoke Chapter's #41, sister locomotive #40 is preserved at the Virginian Transportation Museum.

And if we're talking preserved N&W Alco's, we can't forget the #300 (This RS-3 was N&W's first diesel, wasn't it?). So I believe the current tally for extant N&W Alco's delivered to the road are 5 T-6's, 4 RS-11's, 1 RS-36, 1 C630, 1 C420, 1 C425. and 1 RS-3.

And if we extend that to merger partners, I believe a Wabash C424 survives, a Nickel Plate RS-11 survives and operates for GVT, a Nickel Plate RSD-5 and RSD-12 survives, and a Nickel Plate S-1 and two S-4's survive. I imagine most if not all of these outlived their original owners and ran for a time on the N&W, although the NKP S series switchers perhaps didn't all make it to 1964.

And as a footnote, the frames from four N&W/NKP RSD-12's survive as the foundation for Norfolk Southern RPU6 yard slugs #866-869. I wonder if any of the Alco repowered Wabash Train Master frames survive these days, after NS retired their slugs rebuilt from H-24-66 cores a few years ago?

Leo A: Your previous post on the justification for preserving an RS-11 was very good. I agree with it and hope others understand it and agree with it too.
_____

When #367 was put up for sale in 2011 with the words, "it is time to sell it or scrap it", I knew that scrapping threat was no bluff. These RS-11's are being scrapped and their numbers are dwindling.

The May issue of Trains discussed whether too much or not enough has been saved. But they missed the more important question of whether the right things have been saved.

I'll say I was very relieved when Durbin & Greenbrier Valley saved the #367. Thanks, Mr. Benjamin True and your team for saving this one.

As long as were talking RS11's, in the mid 80s, during my tenure with IHRC, i ran a ex L&N (built for Seaboard Air Line) chop nose RS11 numbered 952 and at some point renumbered 352 on the old Monon north of Indianapolis. Last i heard it went to the IBCX lease fleet and was later stored on the A&M. This unit was painted grey in the first IHRC scheme, rather than the later maroon scheme. Does anyone know if it still exists? Also, Indian Creek railroad in Frankton, Indiana has a ex SP RS11 that was rebuilt by Chrome Crankshaft that sees regular service during grain season that i noticed didn't make the list. Thanks in advance for any info.